2022’s Best Aftermarket Car Alarms

Compustar CS4900-S uses your phone to keep car thieves at bay. Along with the car alarm alerts, the Compustar doubles as a GPS vehicle tracker, maintenance reminder, anti-theft sensor, and all-around hub for monitoring your ride. 

This Compustar car alarm bundle comes with two keyfobs to lock and unlock your vehicle from up to 3,000 feet away. You can also pop open your trunk and start your car remotely from the same fobs.

And with a little automotive know-how, you can install the Compustar CS4900-S car alarm at home—no professionals required.

Many car alarms, especially those with remote starting features can be tricky on your own, but we saw review after review praising the instructions and easy installation. But it helps to have experience with wiring before you get started.

Avital’s 5305L car alarm system has all the recommended security like shock sensors and panic mode, as well as flashing lights, a blaring 120-decibel siren, and a kill switch that protects against carjacking. 

Unlike lower-end Avital models, this car alarm features a two-way, LCD pager loaded with conveniences like keyless entry, remote start, trunk release, and Valet Mode. The four auxiliary ports let you beef up the system with additional sensors, all for a price that’s a steal.

Beware that any bargain comes with some loss of benefits. In addition to a mediocre range of 1,500 feet, Avital’s lack of smartphone integration means you won’t have the convenience of GPS tracking built into your car alarm system. And, unfortunately, it doesn’t work for vehicles with manual transmissions.

Like standard car alarms, it comes with a key fob you can use to arm or disarm the alarm. You can adjust the sensitivity settings to catch minor vibrations like someone jostling your bike lock or tapping on your windows. 

So while you’ll miss out on the fancy features like remote starting or vehicle tracking, it’s a great extra line of defense against snoopers who might steal your ride. 

With the fob, you can lock and unlock your car from 1,500 feet away. It’s a short range compared to some of our other choices, but it will give you a long enough reach to unlock your car in the parking lot or from inside your home.

It comes with a Failsafe Starter Kill, a feature that kills the engine while the alarm blares. So no one will be able to take your vehicle while the alarm is on. 

The DroneMobile works using cellular signals, giving you an unlimited leash to your car as long as you have reception. Its features may vary depending on your vehicle; check DroneMobile’s list of compatible makes.

And while you can purchase it online through Amazon, you’ll need to get it professionally installed. The device does require a subscription to keep that digital juice flowing. Prices range from $3.99 per month to $39.99 depending on the features you want and what’s compatible with your vehicle. 

Since 2020, the pandemic has kept many folks comfortably at home and their cars in their parking spaces. With this decrease in activity, car thefts rose in 2020 nationwide.¹ 

Having an aftermarket car alarm can help scare off thieves in the act, but they can’t work alone. 

If you want to make your car a little safer, consider pairing your new car alarm with devices like these to deter criminals and find your car if it is stolen:

• GPS vehicle trackers
• Dash cams
• Steering wheel locks
• Remote starters

Check out the SafeWise Car Safety Guide for more tips on securing your vehicle. 

Most modern vehicles come equipped with a basic alarm system, but these bare-bones measures aren’t robust enough to deter professional car thieves. Experts recommend a range of bells and whistles to avoid car theft and give your ride the protection it deserves.

Plus, when you opt for an aftermarket car alarm system, you usually get a few more convenient features bundled in. Here are some of the basics to look for when choosing a car alarm system.

At the minimum, your car alarm system should make some noise when the sensors are tripped. Opt for advanced shock sensors that will respond when glass is broken and when the vehicle is hit by a significant impact.

These sensors will trigger your alarm remote or smartphone. Look for sirens that edge above 100 decibels and do more than honk the horn and flash the lights to grab attention.

Some car alarm systems boast a phenomenal range of up to a mile. Look for a car alarm system that reaches your vehicle from at least 1,000 feet so it can arm itself from a distance. That way, you’ll be confident your alarm is set every time you walk away.

Carjack protection is a group of features that actively thwart car theft. These options include kill switches, high-pitched sirens, and chirp alarms that may hassle the thief into abandoning your vehicle.

While these kinds of security measures may seem redundant, they’ve been shown to effectively deter car thieves or interrupt vehicle theft in action.

Modern car alarm systems generally have two-way communication, meaning you can arm your car at a distance and also receive notifications from the alarm system on your remote.

In some cases, these key fobs even use an LCD display to detail conditions of your car like the internal temperature or open doors.

Not all car thieves use a crowbar or Slim Jim to get into your car. Tech-savvy thieves know how to hack the signal from your key fob and unlock your car remotely. That’s why smart car alarm companies are adding encryption to their wireless car alarms.

If you like the convenience of remote entry, you might want to look for a vehicle security system that incorporates encryption to keep hackers out of your car.

It’s no surprise that some keyless cars come with car security you can control from your smartphone. Leading vehicle security companies like Viper use cloud technology to put remote control and monitoring in the palm of your hand.

Mobile apps let you check in on your vehicle and receive email and text alerts without having to carry around an extra remote or key fob. Often, these apps also provide GPS tracking that can be enormously helpful in the case of theft.

Installing a car alarm system involves a lot of wires and fiddling around with your car’s electrical system. Because it can be complicated, we recommend professional installation.

However, this can raise the overall price of a car alarm by several hundred dollars. If you want to attempt DIY installation, you’re not alone. Many handy car owners have successfully installed their alarm system. But beware that DIY installation might impact any warranty on the equipment.

Many car alarms will also let you remotely start your vehicle, which can be a big benefit on cold mornings when you need to defrost your windows and heat up those seats before your commute.

Car alarm systems often provide extras like keyless entry, valet mode, and trunk release that can make your life just a little easier when you have your hands full.

We chose the car alarm systems on this list after extensive review of product information and specifications from company websites, expert recommendations, customer reviews, and company ratings from third-party organizations like the Better Business Bureau and AM Best.

• 7 Ways to Avoid Getting Your Car Stolen
• The Best Car Dash Cams
• The Best Steering Wheel Locks
• Dealing with a Car Break-In? Here’s What to Do

1. Stephanie Dazio, Associated Press, “Lock Your Cars! Vehicle Theft Spikes In COVID-19 Pandemic,” May 2020. Accessed January 17, 2022.